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Friday, August 10, 2012

Honolulu Rail Project – Additional Seats To Be Added To Rail Trains

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation has stated that they will be adding ten additional seats in each of the eighty rail cars in the Honolulu Rail Project. Previously, each of the two-car rail trains were designed to hold 242 standing passengers and had seats for 76 passengers. Now the two-car rail trains will hold 222 standing passengers and have 96 seats. These additional seats would cost the city a total of $1.5 to $1.9 million. Executive Director for HART, Daniel Grabauskas, stated, “The public has told us that they would like more seats on the trains and we’ve listened. The increased seating will be designed to enhance the riding experience and to increase passenger comfort.”
Also under consideration is suggestion to add fare gates to each of the 21 rail stations. The original plan called for the system to be “open” and have no gates or turnstiles. Rail employees would randomly go through the train cars and ask for passengers to provide proof that they had paid. However, Grabauskas would like to have the city install fare gates that would help insure that passengers pay before stepping onto the trains. Grabauskas added, “Frankly, if there’s one place where I don’t want armed inspectors challenging people to demonstrate that they’ve paid their fares, it’s the land of aloha. I mean, it just doesn’t feel very aloha to me.”
Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 8-10-2012, www.staradvertiser.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, Realtor®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
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